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I like the idea of a NextChess tournament. I'd offer Christian Freeling's
Grand Chess and my own Great Shatranj as 2 potential games. Both,
superficially, are Capa variants, but both offer something the real Capa
variants don't. 

The times I've played Grand Chess, I've been struck by the different feel
of the game, compared to Capa. It's a far more open and free-wheeling
game, with pawns that are more vulnerable than those on an 8x10, at least
in my opinion. I think it should be considered as a legitimate option for a
second Capa-type game for a NextChess tourney, after and in addition to a
more traditional 8x10.

Great Shatranj is the best 'rival' to chess I've done. It's shatranj
with really good pieces. Those who have tried it generally seem to find it
a very playable, enjoyable, chesslike game. I admit to enjoying the game
myself; it has an unusual character. While it appears to be a Capa variant,
in play it is something quite different, demanding more measured [and
supported] attacks which proceed across the board in steps. The game
requires good tactical and strategic considerations because, with
shortrange pieces, it is just possible to win on one side of the board and
lose on the other. 

I believe there is a strong random [aka: luck] element in our designs, and
I was very lucky with the design of this game. It may start a bit slowly
for modern tastes, but if this game were offered to shatranj players of a
millennium or so ago, I think it would attract players. Games of its nature
historically did. This should meet the standards set, if only minimally,
for games that could hold their own against standard Western chess, if both
started off on an equal footing.